Monthly Archives: November 2015

The November Meeting will be this Friday (November 20) at 6:30! Our Theme is Pen Photography and will be driven by Jana Harrer, our Member expert on Pen Photography and Presentations.

Here are a few words from Jana in her most recent email to us announcing the Theme ~

“I wanted to remind everyone that for our photography topic this week I will be bringing my camera equipment, a couple light boxes and a big box full of fun props for staging pens.

If you want to bring some pens to photograph I think we can have some fun trying out some of the tips and tricks we’ll be discussing. I’d be happy to do some post production work on a few shots and post to a sharing site after if anyone is interested. Also, if you have any favorite props for staging bring them too!”

So, bring a favorite pen or prop that you want to have immortalized in the digital universe!

The October Meeting and it theme of Filling Systems took place on October 16.

Here are Meeting Notes as compiled by President Francis Bulbulian ~

Attendees;

Barry Kiel Basil Gilliland

Robb Swenson Joel Molin

Randy Kirsch Fritz Ferris

Frank Crescioni Brent Bills

Neil Lutsky Brian Holstein

Ted Allen Francis Bulbulian

Jana Harrer

Discussion of various unique filling system devised by various pen companies to go around the competition. In some cases the birth of a unique filling system was introduced. As one example the Pelikan piston filler.

Below is a description of the various pens & their filling systems brought to the meeting by attendees.

Early & rare Sheaffer Vacuum Fillerversion with a bladder that you twist to fill the pen. See photos attached

Waterman Sleeve Filler; one of the early filling systems devised by the company.

Match Stick filler; this one by Puritan Pen Co. That you could use a match stick to depress the bladder. There are other companies, such as Eagle Pen, around that time, that used a coin to depress the bladder to fill the pen.

Onoto Vacuum Filler; one of the early true piston vacuum fillers. We were not sure if Sheaffer adopt the system.

A No name blow filler; pen with a hole at the end of the barrel. You blow into the hole and the rubber sack depresses to fill the pen with ink, Chilton had a similar system.

A rare no name English pen( very likely made by Conway Stewart) button filler with a cap on the button filler, similar to Parker Big Red, but the blind cap has a actuating lever to assist in filling the pen. Was it to go around the Parker patent?

Weidlich bulb filler; a very simple mechanism as used on early “dollar pens”. You unscrew the barrel and press with you finger the rubber sack to fill the pen. Voila!

Parker 61 Capillary filler; to keep the pen’s nib and shell ink free when filling Parker had a very novel idea. Unscrew the barrel and dip the Teflon coated cartridge into the ink bottle and by capillary action the ink is sucked into the reservoir. Very novel idea however if ink sits in the reservoir for a couple of weeks cleaning the reservoir is time consuming.

Chilton “Pneumatic filler’

Minnesota Pen Company

Pen Cartoon Winners;Neil & Fritz were given their prizes. Submit your cartoon caption for Challenge Round #7 to Frank C. by e-mail for the next meeting ballot. The cartoon was published in the last issue of the newsletter.

Next meeting date is November 20th. Theme is Pen Photography techniques and lighting by Jana Harrer. A power point presentation and live demonstration will be given. Bring you favorite pen to be photographed in the demonstration by Jana.

Election of officers: The full slate of the existing 2015 officers were unanimously elected to serve again in 2016.

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P. E. N. S.

Welcome to the Web home of P. E.N.S., which stands for the Pen Enthusiasts Northern Society, a long standing Vintage Fountain Pen collectors group, based in the cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. Please check back here periodically for copies of the monthly newsletter ~ Signature ~ as well as Meeting Announcements, Photographs, an all things PENS!